


In Those Days

by hwe (plumroot)



Series: Birthday Babes [1]
Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, summary: hanbin gets overwhelmed easily and donghyuk is cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 08:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12453906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumroot/pseuds/hwe
Summary: It is April 2003.Hanbin doesn't know it yet, but in August Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in over 60,000 years. In October, his soon-to-be favourite band Epik High will debut with their first album Map of the Human Soul that, despite how he will claim is the best thing he has ever heard in his life, will be poorly received by the South Korean mainstream audience (some cuts are so deep they never heal). Hanbin also doesn't know it, yet, but the new boy who walks down the line of ogling students and is instructed to sit next to him will be the same person he proposes to in 6 years’ time.Or, maybe he does.





	In Those Days

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in honour of #KimHanbinDay so if it's bad......... don't kill me lol
> 
> (This is a side-story in something bigger I will hopefully grow the balls to write later... If y'all like the idea of a grown Dong and a certain Hoe.. stay tuned)

It is April 2003.

       Winter makes way for spring, and the damp heat that sticks to the back of Hanbin's neck, under the collar of his school uniform, is finally alright because the sea is warm enough to swim in. He doesn't know it yet, but in August Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in over 60,000 years. In October, his soon-to-be favourite band Epik High will debut with their first album _Map of the Human Soul_ that, despite how he will claim is the best thing he has ever heard in his life, will be poorly received by the South Korean mainstream audience (some cuts are so deep they never heal). Hanbin also doesn't know it, yet, but the new boy who walks down the line of ogling students and is instructed to sit next to him will be the same person he proposes to in 6 years’ time.

       Or, maybe he does.

       "Hanbin, since you seem to be the most enthusiastic about school," starts Mrs Choi, in which Hanbin's classmates find great comedy, "why don't you introduce him, show him around today?"

       In Hanbin's defence, the sun had set and risen during the time he spent finishing (and starting, for that fact) his history essay last night, so nodding off in his desk is perfectly justifiable. However, it is hard to keep the scowl on his face when he turns to look at the new boy, who smiles at him. It’s a friendly smile - careful, but friendly. It’s a nice smile too, if Hanbin has to admit.

       “Hey, I’m Jinhwan,” says new boy. New boy has a voice that sounds like calm, relaxed waves.

       “I know. I heard,” replies Hanbin, even though he totally did not. “I’m Hanbin.”

       “I know.” Jinhwan smiles again. “I heard.”

 

*******

 

It's not _every_ day that a new family moves into Sangdong. After hearing Jaewon rave about how different and _better_ Seoul is, the boy coming back from a visit with one of the shiny new music players that had flash memory while Hanbin still carries around his scuffed CD-Walkman, he wonders why anyone ever would, really. Of course, he doesn’t know it, yet, but when he finally visits Seoul for the first time, its sheer size and noise, the impression that everyone’s actions are self-interested and insincere at the end of the day, will make him realise that maybe his hometown really _is_ his home. However, for now, the dynamism and glowing promises of Seoul, or rather any other place in the country that is bigger than his town (which he’s certain covers _many_ places) is everything tiny little coastal Sangdong located at the "ass" of Jeongseon is (to Hanbin's regret) not.

       So, Hanbin's not even surprised to find out that Jinhwan's family didn't move here voluntarily. He is from Jeju. His father was transferred to Sangdong to replace their retiring pastor, who had practically watched every child in the town (and their parents, probably) from birth. Hanbin guesses Jinhwan's family drew the short end, because other than the beach there is nothing particularly redeeming about their town of a thousand and a half.

       Everyone is more than willing to be hospitable though, maybe even more so because it is their new pastor after all. Especially Hanbin's mother. Which is exactly how Hanbin finds himself being pushed out of the door with a box of tangerines, and a platter of fresh prawns on top of that, in his arms.

       "They're from Jeju! They don't need our tangerines!" He barks, which leads his mum to slap him on the back of the head.

       "They might feel homesick. Just go." She dusts the lint off his shoulders and pulls at the fabric of his shirt to straighten the wrinkles. She gasps. "Kim Hanbin, change your pants."

       Baggy, with two giant rips on each knee that he did himself, Hanbin's jeans are his pride and joy and nothing will ever do them apart, he swears. He groans. "Mum, it's just pants. They won't care."

       She frowns, but sighs. "Fine, just go. And be polite."

       Footsteps patter along the hallway and suddenly his little brother is tugging at his mum's skirt. "Can I go with hyung? Pleeeeeeease? Hoseok said they have a puppy!" Donghyuk jumps excitedly, and it's useless for her to try refuse.

       "Come back before it gets dark. Someone has to finish their English worksheet," she says pointedly at the younger boy, who has now bounded down the steps and wrapped himself around Hanbin's legs. "Oh, and tell them they're invited to dinner anytime."

 

*******

 

Jinhwan's house turns out to be on the other side of town, quite physically, and under the bright sun Hanbin begins to regret his jeans. Jinhwan's mum opens the door and she seems pleasantly surprised to see them, sheepishly but gratefully accepting their gifts once Hanbin explains he probably won't be allowed back home if she didn't.

       "Call me auntie! Hanbin, right? And who is this?" She beams at the little boy peeking timidly behind Hanbin's legs.

       "He's my little brother, Donghyuk." Upon hearing his name, the 6-year-old takes a small step forward.

       "Oh, how cute!" Jinhwan's mum gushes. "Have you boys eaten yet?" And it appears that she is about to invite them inside, before remembering all the unopened boxes stacked in the hallway. "You boys must be hungry! How about you play outside for a while as I fix up some snacks?"

       And before Hanbin can say anything, she is calling her son from upstairs. He appears, in a t-shirt and shorts, and looks from Hanbin to little Donghyuk with an unreadable expression.           

       Donghyuk tugs at the tail of Hanbin's shirt, and he will blame his fear of being put on the spot (as far as he knows, no one has coined this _phobia_ yet) for the reason he suddenly feels nervous. Not Jinhwan's expression. Not Jinhwan.

       "Uh… auntie? Donghyuk was… wondering if he could see your puppy."

       "You mean Connie?" Jinhwan asks, curiously. Donghyuk nods eagerly, eyes wide with hope, and Jinhwan's mum gushes again so Hanbin guesses she's fallen for his brother's charms like every other woman in the town.

       "Ah… Why don't you boys take Connie for a walk and then come back for snacks? Sounds like a plan!"

 

*******

 

It turns out the puppy is a fully-grown Doberman that comes up to Donghyuk's shoulder almost, but he is delighted to see a dog nonetheless and almost squeals when Jinhwan hands him the leash. Connie takes off, pulling the momentarily surprised but happy boy along.

       Jinhwan, sensing Hanbin's worry, chuckles. "Don't worry. Connie is well-trained."

       "Yah!" Hanbin shouts as they fall further behind his brother and Jinhwan's dog. "Don't go too far!" All he can hear is Donghyuk's joyful laughter echoing back to them.

       They walk in silence for a while, admiring the blooms of spring on the trees. Nothing much has changed since that day Hanbin showed Jinhwan around the school grounds (and, half-assedly at that). Hanbin still nods off in class and math is still boring. Jinhwan had been quickly swept under the wings of class president Seokjin and vice class president Jinyoung. Hanbin swears they're plotting a Triple Jin takeover of the school. Or the world.

       And - oh yeah. Jinhwan dyed his hair a silvery colour that reminds Hanbin of pretty scales, in the way sunlight gets caught in it and sometimes reflects light pink and blue hues.

       "Have you finished the film essay?"

       Hanbin is caught by surprise. "No." He swallows. Damn, isn't the day warm! "Have you?"

       "Nah," Jinhwan answers, kicking a rock. They draw nearer to the sound of Donghyuk's voice. He is running around on a clearing of grass with Connie keenly on his heels. "It's due on Friday, though."

       "Yeah, I know. I forgot what the film's about though," Hanbin confesses.

       Jinhwan looks at him, it's a look of incredulity, and then they both start laughing.

       "It is true what they say about you? That you came down with a case of self-induced food poisoning to avoid finals but your mum made you do it anyway?"

        "Hey! I did get food poisoning but it wasn't self-induced!" Hanbin protests, and Jinhwan doubles over. "But yeah, she made me do it anyway because my grades during the year were so shit that she would have killed me if I settled with aegrotat."

        "Wow, that must've stank," comments Jinhwan, voice wobbling as he bites back laughter with difficulty, and Hanbin's eyes widen with horror.

        "If Jinyoung told you this story I will have you know that he is a chronic exaggerator."

        "Seokjin agreed though. Would he be a liar then?"

        Hanbin, feeling heat on his face, exclaims, "He- He's Jinyoung's friend!"

        Jinhwan's still laughing though, and yeah, fine, he's got a cute laugh and his eyes turn into pretty crescents and his teeth are nice and his skin looks really great under the sun. Yeah, fine. It's sort of funny, Hanbin concedes. He chuckles and this snowballs into laughter.

        "Hyung!"

        In their little _moment_ (we'll call it that), the teenagers almost forget about the younger boy, who they spot trapped underneath the Doberman, being licked very enthusiastically.

        "Help me!" Donghyuk cries, amidst giggles.

        Jinhwan whistles, bringing his slim fingers to his pink li- Hanbin stops looking. Connie perks up and runs to her owner, and finally Donghyuk gets off the ground, looking every bit a child who has received too much love from a dog.

       Hanbin brushes leaves and grass off his brother's hair and clothes, but the dirt on his pants won't make their mum very happy. "You're so energetic today Donghyukie. But you better not burn out before we get home and finish your English homework. Otherwise mum will have my neck."

       Jinhwan bends down to Donghyuk, who is playing with Connie again, and ruffles his hair.      

       "Looks like Connie really likes you!"

       "I really like Connie too!"

       Jinhwan grins. "How old are you, Donghyukie?"

       "I'm 7!"

       "No, you're not," Hanbin interjects. "You're 6."

       "I'm turning 7 next month!"

       "That's next month," Hanbin says, dryly.

       Suddenly Donghyuk jumps up, and starts hopping frenziedly on the spot like his little body will explode with whatever is urgently on his mind. His eyes dart between Hanbin and Jinhwan, deciding who his target is.

       He settles with Hanbin. "Can Jinhwan-hyung come to my party?"

       Now, Hanbin's mouth turns dry (for no reason?) and his face starts feeling really warm (because of the sun?). "Uh… You'll have to ask Jinhwan-hyung…"

       The older boy beams. "I'd love to."

       Donghyuk's eyes light up. "Can Connie come too?"

       Jinhwan gasps. "Did you only ask me to come so I would bring Connie?" At that moment Connie chooses to bark and Donghyuk giggles. "Come here, you," Jinhwan teases and reaches out to tickle Donghyuk, who squirms and wriggles breathlessly. "You only like me for my dog!"

 

*******

 

Hanbin learns he should never judge anyone by their appearance. By way of illustration, Jinhwan is, well, not _petite_ , but not exactly the biggest guy Hanbin has ever seen either. So when Donghyuk asks to be carried home and Jinhwan offers his back, Hanbin's first instinct is to be worried that Jinhwan will break in half or something. Donghyuk is still a growing boy, but that's the point.

       Connie keeps tugging on her leash and Hanbin, unwilling to concede his dominance to a _dog_ , engages in a sort of tug-of-war. "You're strong," he remarks.

       Jinhwan throws him a side glance, and although his expression is an unkind one, Hanbin notices for the first time a heart-shaped mole under his eye. "Did I look weak?"

       "Uh…" Hanbin says, before almost tripping and splitting his chin on the concrete when Connie unceremoniously yanks a bit too hard. Almost, but he wishes he did because now his younger brother _and_ Jinhwan are laughing at him and he thinks the feeling he's getting when his gaze rests on Jinhwan a little too long is dizziness. "Well," Hanbin continues loudly, "let's say if I was to look up the dictionary definition of _strong_ , I wouldn't expect to find a picture of you in it."

       Jinhwan snorts. "Because I would be under _handsome_ , right Donghyukie?"

       Yeah, okay. Hanbin huffs.

       "I do Jiu-Jitsu; I can have you in a choke-hold right now, if I wanted to," Jinhwan says, matter-of-factly. "Instead, I shall use my strength to carry this heavy sack of potatoes on my back!"

       Donghyuk shrieks as Jinhwan rocks him. "I know where we can find Hanbin-hyung in the dictionary!" He suddenly exclaims, and then he whispers into Jinhwan's ear. The older boy chuckles immediately, and Hanbin feels left out.

       "Where? Yah! I'm your brother! Tell me!"

       "Will you give us a 10-second head start?" Jinhwan asks, gesturing to the stretch of road ahead of them.

       "5."

       "That's fine with us. Okay, get ready Donghyukie!"

       Jinhwan takes off with the younger boy clinging on his back.

       "1,2,3,4,5! Tell me!" Hanbin calls, before running after them. Connie barks excitedly.

       " _Stinky_!" Jinhwan and Donghyuk yell back in unison.

 

*******

 

Hanbin’s not going to admit it, but he feels really glad to see Jinhwan show up with Connie in tow to Donghyuk's birthday party. He had dropped a gentle threat on the older boy at school, after Donghyuk managed to convince their mum to have the entire party outside in the yard just so Connie wouldn't be left out (literally). So, it's a genuine relief that the boy kept his promise; Hanbin believes with how much his younger brother enjoyed hanging out with Connie (and Jinhwan), they are right now the only ones capable of breaking his little heart.

       "I'm glad you came." Well, never mind with the _not going to admit it_ thing. Hanbin takes the neatly-wrapped purple box from Jinhwan and places it with the pile of accumulated presents. "I think we'll be needing your combat skills today," he adds, meaning the horde of kids running around on the lawn. It's an actual horde. When you live in a small town like Sangdong, every single child gets invited to your party. It’s just what it is.

       "Jiu-Jitsu is about self-defence, you know," Jinhwan responds, amusedly.

       Donghyuk, wearing a gold crown and red velvet cape, comes bounding over when he notices Jinhwan and, importantly, Connie. "Jinhwan-hyung!" And all the other children, following the birthday boy, come charging over too.

       "Yeah, that's what I meant," Hanbin mutters as his last words, before he is bowled over by Hoseok and Hyunwoo. He's used to it by now; he makes a good older brother that neither the two of them have, and they, in return, make good weights when he wants a serious arm workout. Normally he'd retaliate, but this time he just stays flat on the grass.

       "Hanbin-hyung's dead!" Hyunwoo cries, slapping Hanbin's face with his chubby hand. The boy had packed some serious weight over winter, and his hits are strong enough that it stings. Hanbin is committed to his role, though, and just stays still as other children join in and start hitting other parts of his body.

       He hears a noise and feels the air bristle as someone falls down beside him.

       "Look! He's dead too!"

       It's only a few moments before the children realise Connie is much more entertaining, and so the teenagers are left alone lying on the ground.

       The sky is blue and the sun is bright. The air is sweet with the smell of spring.

       "How was your film essay?" Jinhwan asks. Funny he should ask that, really, because after Jinhwan invited Hanbin over to his house to re-watch the film together, both of them sitting on Jinhwan's bed with a bag of slightly overcooked popcorn between them, Hanbin spent the next week thinking about nothing but the moment Jinhwan placed a hand on his thigh during the climax; and how because he was wearing his favourite pair of jeans with two stupidly big holes on the knees, he actually felt Jinhwan's touch. Jinhwan's palm was soft, yet Hanbin felt like his skin under Jinhwan's hand was burning. Needless to say, Hanbin had to rent out the VCR himself and re-watch it the _third_ time, alone, at home, to figure out what was happening.

       Funny.

       Hanbin begins absentmindedly ripping out grass. "She said she liked it, but it seemed like I didn't know where I was trying to go with it."

       "Hmm… But _did_ you?"

       "Now that I think about it, probably not."

       And – oh _god_. Hanbin’s fingers are scouring the grass when he accidentally brushes Jinhwan’s hand. He pulls back, instantly, as if there was a static shock.

       “Hyung’s alive!” Donghyuk’s cheery voice rings from across the lawn. Hanbin sits up, probably a bit too fast because his vision seems to spin a bit before adjusting, and Jinhwan follows suit. The older boy runs a hand through his silvery hair to fix it up. Hanbin feels his breath lodged in his throat.

        “Yah! Tone it down with the cookie dough, Chanyeol!” He barks quite breathlessly, but the boy, as expected, pays Hanbin no regard as he continues eating.

 

*******

 

After a certain point, it's kind of dry going to the beach with Jaewon and Minho. Pun intended.

       Jaewon, who has developed a major crush on one of the older girls, spends the entire time trying to look buff and cool to impress her, and Minho, seeing nothing to lose and everything to laugh about, eggs him on. Hanbin, in mild frustration, sends the frisbee they're tossing between them over Jaewon's head, way beyond his reach. Hanbin's friends watch in confusion and amazement as the disc sails in the air, curling in its unpredictable course and then -

       Oh, fuck. If this isn't the worst thing _ever_.

       "Ow!" Jinhwan brings a hand to the spot on his forehead where the frisbee made contact.     

       Beside him, Seokjin, still in surprise, catches the frisbee before it falls. Somehow by some twisted force of nature and fate, the frisbee ends up at the entrance of the beach where the Triple Jins just happened to be walking in. Jinyoung, ever the keenest of eyes, already spots the three of them grounded in the sand, watching with jaws slacken.

       "Shit!" Jaewon remarks in glee at Hanbin's pale face, and Minho, as always, starts guffawing.

       His friends, unafraid of their impending death, wave to the older boys nonchalantly. Hanbin watches as Jinhwan takes the frisbee from Seokjin and tosses it back. Hanbin catches it with two hands. Jinhwan, on the other side of the beach, sends him a salute before turning to follow his friends.

       Jaewon and Minho are rolling around on the sand clutching their stomachs. Hanbin decides he will never visit the beach with them again.

       Or visit the beach. Period.

 

*******

 

Hanbin is walking Donghyuk home from school when he suddenly mentions Jinhwan, and Hanbin, the occasional opportunist, more or less manipulates his younger brother into thinking he wants to visit Jinhwan's house to see Connie again.

       They stop by the store first, where Hanbin buys some pears and the second-cheapest bunch of flowers. For Donghyuk he buys a carton of strawberry milk, and then scanning the candy shelf he grabs a tin of fruit candies and a bar of chocolate hoping Jinhwan will like at least one of them.

       Donghyuk, sipping his drink, looks up at Hanbin randomly. "Jinhwan-hyung is nice. I like him."

       "I know. He bought you the puppy dog doll for your birthday and it's your favourite present."

       "I saw him walking Connie when I was at Hoseok's house and he let us play with Connie! He also bought ice cream for us!"

       Hanbin feels a jolt of betrayal. "He did? You didn't tell me this!"

       Donghyuk keeps sipping on his milk, insensitive to Hanbin's sensitivities, and then starts mumbling to himself in the language of 7-year-olds. The driveway of Jinhwan's house is empty which indicates at least one parent is out. After two knocks, Hanbin is slightly jump scared by Jinhwan himself pulling back the door, changed out of his uniform and into lighter clothes.

       The older boy looks at Hanbin, and the items in his arms, in surprise, before his eyes light up at Donghyuk. Hanbin notices a small bandage peeking out from under his bangs.

       "Hey!" Jinhwan grins, ruffling Donghyuk's hair.

       "Uh," Hanbin swallows, "Donghyukie wanted to see Connie…" He clears his throat uncomfortably. "And uh… these are for your parents… your mum." It is very likely that the back of Hanbin's uniform shirt is now soaked through with sweat. "Uh… yeah. Hope you guys don't mind."

       "My mum isn't home…" Jinhwan glances at the flowers before flitting his eyes to Hanbin's. "So, I guess those are for me?"

       Hanbin nearly chokes on air.

       "Can I see Connie?" Donghyuk asks, not understanding what the teenagers have to talk about.

       "Sure thing, come in! She's probably trying to eat my socks again."

       Jinhwan is speaking the truth; when they step into the house, the Doberman immediately comes padding over as if having sensed Donghyuk and drops a chewed-up wool form in front of the younger boy. He squeals with joy and brings his short arms around Connie.

        "Donghyukie… if you keep doing this Connie might think you're her real owner…" Jinhwan jokes, watching them fondly.

        Jinhwan's house is now much more settled in than when they first visited. There are photographs and bible verses framed on the walls. Jinhwan places the flowers in a vase and proceeds to peel the pears. Hanbin, standing behind him, contemplates the tin of candies and bar of chocolate in his hands. Suddenly, Jinhwan turns around with the peeled fruit, juice dripping along his fingers.

       "Oh! More food!"

       "Uh, yeah. I forgot to say that these are for you. I'm sorry about what happened at the beach. It was an accident, I promise. I hope either of these are okay."

        Jinhwan looks more amused than annoyed. "Your response to cutting my forehead open is some sweets? Is this a bribe?"

        Hanbin is horrified. "It's _that_ bad?!"

        For a moment, he is genuinely unsure what it means when Jinhwan laughs. "No, silly. It's only a small scratch." Hanbin exhales without even remembering inhaling to begin with. "If it was that serious I would have kicked your ass by now. Or gotten someone else to."

        Seeing Hanbin still feeling guilt, the older boy rolls his eyes playfully. "Look," he says, lifting his bangs with a hand wet with pear juice to reveal a small Mickey Mouse bandage over his forehead, "at least I get to use these now."

        Hanbin can't help but smile.

        Jinhwan cuts the pear into sticks for Donghyuk, who ends up feeding half of it to Connie anyway. It’s a while, but after chasing Connie around the house, and then playing a competitive game of hide-and-seek, Donghyuk is spent and falls asleep like a log on the couch. The teenagers keep MTV playing lowly in the background as they sit on the floor by the foot of the couch and suck on the fruit candies.

       Hanbin’s current flavour is pineapple.

       “Mmm… I think this one’s lychee flavoured,” whispers Jinhwan, balancing a glistening, translucent ball on the tip of his tongue for Hanbin to see.

       “Really?” Hanbin searches the tin, careful not to rattle it too loud, but finds none like it.

       “It’s nice,” says Jinhwan.

       “There’s no more,” pouts Hanbin, unhelpfully. He bites into his pineapple candy, breaking it into two pieces in his mouth.

        Jinhwan glances up at him for a moment, and it’s weird but Hanbin’s heart is beating really fast and the heat in his mouth melts the candy at the back of his tongue.

        “Open your mouth,” Jinhwan suddenly says, quietly, never removing his eyes from Hanbin’s lips.

        Hanbin has no idea what is going on, at all, until Jinhwan is slowly leaning in and at an impossibly close distance he can smell Jinhwan and almost feel the warmth radiating off him. Their lips touch, and then Jinhwan pushes the candy from his mouth into Hanbin’s. It falls onto his tongue, amongst the shards of pineapple candy, a drop of perfection. It is smoothed around the edges, sweet and warm, and tastes like lychee alright.

        Hanbin is on fire. He is dizzy. He is crazy.

        There is no _way_ Jinhwan, Kim Jinhwan, just _kissed_ him. No way.

        “So, how is it?”

        “It-it’s nice,” Hanbin agrees, nodding.

        Jinhwan’s cheeks are a little flushed. It’s pretty. He pulls out a blue-coloured candy from the tin, and then smirks. “I think there’s only one of this flavour too.” He pops it in his mouth. His lips are slightly tinted. “If you want to try, just ask.”

       It is July 2003.

       Summer has kicked down the door; the days are sticky and long. Hanbin doesn't know it yet, but in August Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in over 60,000 years. In October, his soon-to-be favourite band Epik High will debut with their first album _Map of the Human Soul_ that, despite how he will claim is the best thing he has ever heard in his life, will be poorly received by the South Korean mainstream audience (some cuts are so deep they never heal).

       But he does know, in that very moment, sitting on the floor of Jinhwan’s lounge with a tin of fruit candies between them and MTV playing quietly in the background, that Kim Jinhwan, the pastor’s son from Jeju with silvery hair and a dog that doesn’t like him as much as she likes his younger brother, is the first person he’ll ever fall in love with.

       He knows for sure, because he has.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I wish our beloved leader a very very joyful and happy birthday. Thank you for everything. This is only a small (and sad) token of my appreciation for you. Thank you once again. Much much love to you.


End file.
